Thursday, January 30, 2014

Monday, January 27, 2014

UNITED WE
STAND,

TOGETHER WE
CONQUER

Battle lines for a showdown
of the Central Govt. Employees are drawn.
Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & Workers had served notice for 48 hours strike on
2014 February 12th & 13th, to Cabinet Secretary on 21st January 2014 alongwith 15 point Charter of demands.

The demands raised by the
entire Central Govt. employees includes DA merger, Interim relief, Grant of
civil servant status and inclusion of GDS in 7th CPC, Regularisation and
revision of wages of casual labourers, Rescind PFRDA Act and scrap new Pension Scheme,
Date of effect of 7th CPC 01-01-2014 & Five year wage revision in future,
Fixation of minimum pay based on Need-based minimum wage formula worked out by
15th ILC and modified by Supreme Court later, settlement of anomalies,
Implementation of Arbitration awards, five promotions, cashless hassle free
medical facilities, Removal of restrictions on compassionate appointments,
removal of bonus ceiling, stop downsizing, outsourcing, contractorisation,
casualisation and privatisation, Filling up of vacant posts. Stop price rise
and strengthen public distribution system.
Right to strike, vacate victimisations and revive JCM forums are also
included in the charter.

The neo-liberal economic
policies pursued by the Central Govt. from 1991 onwards is threatening the very
existence of Central Govt. departments.
Many Govt. functions are already outsourced and some departments are at
the verge of closure. Eventhough Govt.
proclaim that there is no ban, six lakhs of vacant posts remain unfilled, out
of which three lakhs are in Railways.
Downsizing, contractorisation and privatisation has become the order of
the day. Exploitation of three lakhs Gramin Dak Sevaks of the Postal
department and casual labourers is still continuing. Hard-earned statutory Pension of the Govt.
employees has been snatched away and
share market oriented New Pension Scheme is introduced. Both the
congress-led UPA Govt. and BJP led Opposition NDA had joined together in the
Parliament to pass the PFRDA Bill.
Prices of all essential commodities has shooted up and grant of
permission by the Govt. to oil companies
to raise the prices of Petroleum products including Gas has further aggravated
the situation. Life of the workers and
common people has become miserable. To
compensate the price rise and to prevent further erosion in the real
wages. Govt. is not ready to grant DA
merger or interim relief. Entire
negotiating forums called JCM has become totally ineffective and defunct due to
the negative attitude of the Government.

General Election to
Parliament is going to be declared shortly.
Parliament is in session upto the second or third week of February 2014
only. Once election is declared, we
cannot expect any positive action from the Government till the end of
2014. Confederation has framed the
charter of demands in its National Council held at Mumbai in 2010 December 1st
& 2nd and submitted to Government in 2011.
Series of Nationwide campaign and agitational programmes has been
organised and a massive rally of about 20000 Central Govt. employees was
conducted in front of Parliament on 26th July 2012. As the Government remained indifferent one
day’s nation-wide strike was conducted on 12th December 2012 followed by two
days strike on February, 20, 21 along with the Central Trade Unions. Strike ballot for indefinite strike was also
declared in the month of August, 2013.
Due to the agitations conducted by
Confederation, Government was compelled to announce 7th Pay Commission
in September, 2013, of course, with an eye on the votes of the Central
Government Employees and Pensioners in the by-election to four states including
Delhi.

Now four months are over
since the announcement of the Prime Minister assuring constitution of Seventh
CPC. Till this day the notification
constituting the 7th CPC is not issued by the Government and the Chairman and
other committee members are also not appointed.
DA merger, Interim Relief and terms of reference are also pending. In fact, Government has fooled about 50 lakhs
Central Government employees including defence personnel and 40 lakhs Central
Government Pensioners. Nobody can
tolerate this type of humiliation.

We cannot expect any positive action
from the Government, unless and untill we organise ourselves in a decisive
manner and go for a strike action.
Central Government Employees have the potential to get their due rights
from an unwilling Government. For that
there is no short-cut. Unity and
struggle is the only way. 2014 February
12th & 13th 48 hour strike will be an outburst of resentment and anger of
the entire Central Government employees.
Let us unite together and make the 48 hours strike a show of our
uncompromising determination, courage and unity.

24TH
MEETING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES (SCOVA) UNDER THE
CHAIRMANSHIP OF HON'BLE MOS (PP) TO BE HELD ON 5 TH FEBRUARY, 2014 IN VIGYAN
BHAWAN ANNEXE, NEW DELHI.(Click the link below for details)

24TH MEETING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES
(SCOVA) UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF HON'BLE MOS (PP) TO BE HELD ON 5th
FEBRUARY, 2014 AT 4.00 PM IN VIGYAN BHAWAN ANNEXE, NEW DELHI .(Click the link
below for details)

vCom.
M. Krishnan will attend the campaign programme of Maharashtra, West Bengal,
Madhya Pradesh, Tamilnadu at some centres and other places of requirement.

vCom.
M. S. Raja relieved for campaign in IA & AD

vAll
the Teams are to complete the campaign programme by the end of January 2014.

vState
COC Secretaries shall co-ordinate the campaign programme in their respective
states in consultation with the leaders of the respective team (see Mobile
numbers above)

vFrom
1st February 2014 onwards the State COC leaders will carry out State
level campaign programme in their respective states.

ALL AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS - YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION PLEASE.

1.Each affiliated organisation should issue
separate circular along with the copy of the 15 point charter of demands to the
State/District committees WITHOUT FAIL
to make the two days strike a grand success ensuring 100% participation of their
members

2.Each affiliated organisation should conduct
their own Department wise campaign programme and issue circulars, notices,
posters etc. to popularize the charter of demands so that each and every
employee is contacted before 31.01.2014.

3.Each organistaion should serve Strike notice to
their respective Departmental Heads on 21.01.2014 and a copy of the strike
notice should be sent to the Confederation Head Quarters in the following
address

M. Krishnan

Secretary
General

CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVT. EMPLOYEES & WORKERS

1st Floor, North Avenue PO Building, New Delhi – 110001

E-mail ID: mkrishnan6854@gmail.com

Mobile No. 09447068125

4.In the past, C-O-Cs have complained that
the Head Quarters of some affiliated organizations are not issuing any circular
to their branches or serving strike notices to their Departments. This time no
such lapses should take place. Every organistaion should ensure that separate
circular issued by their Head Quarters and separate strike notice is served by
them to their Departmental Head.

5.Model Copy of the strike notice will be
exhibited in the confederation website within two days. Please download it and
submit after necessary modification with mass demonstration in front of the
respective offices. If any organisation
cannot serve strike notice on 21.01.2014 due to late receipt of communication,
it should be served on any date before 27.01.2014.

6.Please ensure maximum participation of your
members in all campaign programme.

7.Please see the Confederation Website every day. It
will not be possible to inform each developments through circular or over
phone. All office bearers of affiliated organisations should see the
Confederation Website every day.

Start campaign and preparation
now onwards. Each Affiliated organization should issue separate circulars to
all the State and District units and conduct Department wise campaign. Strike notice
should be served by each organization to their Head of the department.

MAKE THIS STRIKE A THUNDERING SUCCESS

MASS DHARNA AT
JANTAR MANTAR, NEW DELHI on 9th JANUARY, 2014

In culmination of the first phase
of our agitation programme a mass dharna was organized at Jantar Mantar, New
Delhi on 9th January, 2014 in pursuance of the 15 point charter
of demands. As per the decision of the National Secretariat, all
Secretariat members along with the leaders and workers of Delhi State was to
take part in the Dharna. However, quite a number of comrades from various
other parts of the country volunteered to participate in the programme, despite
the chilling weather conditions of Delhi, which reflected the growing
determination of the rank and file of the workers to fight for the demands and
to win the same. Com. K. K. N. Kutty National President presided. The Dharna
was inaugurated by Com. S. K. Vyas, Adviser, Confederation which preceded
by a welcome speech delivered by Com. Vrighu Bhattacharya, Secretary, Delhi
State Committee. Leaders of almost all major affiliates of the
Confederation and other Secretariat. Members addressed the participants.
Com. A.K. Padmanabhan, President, CITU while greeting the participants in the
Dharna, stressed the need for a long and sustained struggle to win the demand. While
concluding and congratulating the participants for the large turnout, Com.
Secretary General said that a meeting of the National Executive of the
Confederation is scheduled to meet on the next day. He added that
National Executive will evaluate the developments of the last few months and
will decide upon the date of commencement of the impending strike action. The
Dharna programme which was commenced at 11.00 AM was concluded at 3.00 PM, when
Com. Parashar on behalf of the National Secretariat. Thanked the participants and the Delhi State Committee.

National Sectt.
Meeting on 9.1.2014

The Secretariat Members who took
part in the Dharna programme met in an emergent meeting at 5.00 PM to finalise
the proposal to be presented to the extended meeting of the National Executive
the next day. Com. Vyas narrated the efforts undertaken by him and the
President to interact with the leaders of the AIRF and AIDEF to bring about a
common approach both in the matter of 7th CPC and other issues in
the charter. When the Staff Side of the National Council met to finalize
draft terms of reference, there had been few takers for the five year wage
revision proposed by the Confederation. He explained as to how the Confederation
representatives had to agree with a compromise formula for the date of effect
being 1.1.2014 (instead of 1.1.2011), with the clear understanding that the
question of periodicity of wage revision of Central Government Employees must
be a matter of contention before the 7th CPC. Despite the
overwhelming response from the Railway workers, (more than 90% is reported to
have voted in favour of strike in the strike ballot conducted by AIRF) Com.
Vyas said that the leaders of the Railway Federation have not indicated their
willingness to pursue the demands with a strike action. The Defence
Federation leaders have also indicated that it would be difficult for them to
pursue the issues with strike action, unless the same is organized under the
auspices of a joint platform of all Federations of Central Government
employees.

In the deliberations that
followed the introductory remark of Com. Vyas, the following points emerged:

(a) The announcement of the setting up of
7th CPC by the UPA Government was to be considered as a ploy to obtain
electoral mileage;

(b) The
compulsion has been brought about by the Confederation through sustained
struggles including the one day (12.12.2012) strike action.

(c) The need for organizing strike action before the
commencement of the election process

(d) The
leaders of the Confederation might make another attempt with the Railway and
Defense Federations before the National Executive meeting.

(e) The
possibility of inordinate delay in the setting up of the 7th CPC if not
done before elections notified

(f) Apprehension was expressed by the
participating comrades that the Government might go ahead and issues the
requisite notification without taking into account the view points of the Staff
Side contained in the draft terms of reference submitted.

The meeting, therefore, came to
the conclusion that (a) the strike action is the need of the hour and must be
organized before the election process commences; (b) the indefinite strike for
which the Secretariat had earlier taken decision must be attempted under
the auspices of the joint platform of all Central Government Employees
organizations; (c) the Secretary General might make a proposal for two
days strike in the first fortnight of the February for the consideration of the
National Executive.(d) A few comrades were of the view that in view of the
paucity of time for campaign etc, the proposed strike action might be in the
last week of February; (e) fear of the election code of conduct coming into
operation immediately after the Parliament session was also expressed by some
comrades at the meeting.

The Secretariat authorized the
Secretary General to present the proposal for two days strike in the first
fortnight of February 2014 to the extended meeting of the National Executive.

Extended meeting of
the National Executive and decisions - 10.1.2014

The extended meeting of the
National Executive was held at MP Club, North Avenue, New Delhi on
10.1.2014. In the inaugural address, Com. S. K. Vyas, Advisor briefly
placed the developments after the announcement of the setting up of the 7th
CPC by the Government. He particularly referred to the electoral reverses
of the UPA in the five State Assembly elections held in November/December,
2013. He considered the electoral reverses as an expression of anger of the
common man against the policies pursued by the UPA-II Government. He advised
the members to take note of the inescapable conclusion emanating from the
election result that the common man given an opportunity will throw out the
perpetrators of injustice and anger agony on them. According to him,
whoever follows the neo liberal policies are bound to be the victim of the ire
of the working people.

He then narrated the course of
discussions on the terms of reference both at the Staff Side meeting as also at
the official meeting chaired by the Secretary Personnel. In his opinion,
the Government may not accept any of the suggestions made by the Staff Side
unless it is backed up by sustained struggles. The very announcement of the Pay
Commission itself was due to the compulsion brought about by the Confederation
and its affiliates through struggles. He reminded the comrades that the
Government had consistently refused to meet in the JCM at the National and
Departmental levels. The negotiating machinery has almost been closed
down. He said that whenever the meeting takes place, it was with a clear
view to defer decisions on the legitimate demands of the employees. He
also explained the efforts undertaken by the Confederation leaders to bring
about a united platform of all organizations participating in the JCM in the
background of the nugatory attitude of the Government and its failure. He
added that in the given circumstances, hoping for the emergence of a joint
platform would be a grave mistake and the Confederation as had been its
historical approach, must pursue the charter of demands, which include the
setting up of the 7th CPC, through a strike action.

Com. Secretary General presented
the proposal emerged at the meeting of the Secretariat a day before, i.e. on 9th
and the various viewpoints that came up for consideration at the meeting.
While presenting the proposal he asserted that the announcement of the 7th
CPC has come about only on account of the initiative taken by the
Confederation. He recalled how the Confederation leaders were ridiculed in 2011
when the demand for the 7th CPC and five yearly wage revision was
first raised. He said that the common employees who are members of the
affiliates of the Confederation deserve congratulations for the magnificent
response to the call for the March to Parliament on 26th July, 2012
and the subsequent one day strike action on 12th December,
2012. He cautioned that the draft terms of reference prepared by the
Staff Side would remain in paper if the same is not pursued by militant
actions. He told the participating members that the Confederation should
not allow the setting up of the 7th CPC without a labour representative
and must ensure that its Chairman is not one who is obsessed with the neo
liberal economic reforms. He explained that the proposed struggle was not only
for wage revision, though that being an important issue, but also to ensure
that the neo liberal policies are not allowed to be pursued whoever comes to power.
He reminded the comrades that the 15 point charter of demands include the
important and significant issues like (a) withdrawal of the new contributory
pension scheme, (b) stoppage of contractorisation, outsourcing,
privatization etc, (c) regularization of daily rated workers and GDS, (e) to
bring the GDS within the ambit of the 7th CPC treating them as Civil
servants, (f) revival of appointments on compassionate ground without
conditions (g) filling up of vacant posts (h) functioning of the negotiating
machinery and above all (i) arresting the ever rising prices of essential
commodities. He requested the members to appreciate the position
explained and decide upon an inevitable strike action before the election
process is begun.

Thereafter the house deliberated
upon the proposal placed on behalf of the Secretariat. Several Comrades
took part in the discussions. The decision to go on strike was welcomed
by one and all. Some comrades forcefully pleaded that the Confederation must
give a call for an indefinite strike action. In the end, the house
adopted a resolution indicating the following course of action to pursue the 15
point charter of demands. (Full Text of the resolution, the press
statement issued after the meeting, the details of the campaign programme at
the National level will be placed on the website within a day or two).

(i) Strike will be of 48 hours (2 days)
duration.

(ii) The two days strike will commence on 12th
February, 2014 at 00 hours and will be concluded at 00 hours on 14th. i.e.
Strike will be on 12th and 13th February 2014.

(iii) Strike
notice will be served by the Confederation on Cabinet Secretary; all affiliates
on their respective heads of Departments and copy of the same will be handed
over to the respective heads of offices on 21st January, 2014. Prior to
the serving of notice to the heads of offices, the unions will organize massive
demonstration with cent per cent participation of members in front of all
offices on 21.1.2014.

(iv) Nationwide
campaign will be organized covering all State Capitals and other important
cities and towns in January, 2014.

(v) State
Committees will organize state wise campaigning programme covering all District
Head Quarters in the first week of February 2014.

The resolution received unanimous
approval of the house, which was followed by thunderous slogan shouting.

Com. Secretary General then
informed the house that the FNPO has agreed to synchronize their strike action
for two days on the same dates and with the same charter of demands.

The house then took up the
applications received from ARIES Employees Confederation (ARYABHATTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF OBSERVATIONAL SCIENCES) DEHRADUN
and the DOT Employees Association of India, KOLKATA for grant of
affiliation. The house approved the proposal for the grant of affiliation
to the two organizations.

Com. President before declaring
the closure of the session requested the affiliates to take immediate steps to
clear off the subscription dues for; lack of finance should not hinder the
functioning of the CHQ. Com. Parashar on behalf of the Secretariat had
welcome the participants in the beginning. Com. R. Seethalakshmi,
Convener, Women Committee of the Confederation and the newly elected General
Secretary of All India Postal Employees Union, Postmen and MTS/Group ‘D’
proposed vote of thanks.

With greetings,

Yours fraternally,

(M. Krishnan)

Secretary General

CHARTER OF
DEMANDS

1.Accept the terms of reference of 7th
CPC, submitted by the staff side, National Council JCM.

(a)To examine the existing structure of pay,
allowances and other benefits/facilities, retirement benefits like Pension,
Gratuity, other terminal benefits of various categories of Central Government
Employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) of Postal Department.

(b)To work out the comprehensive revised pay packet
for the categories of Central Government employees including GDS as on 1.1.2014.

(c)The Commission shall determine the pay
structure, benefits, facilities, retirement benefits etc. taking into account
the need to provide minimum wage with reference to the recommendation of the
15th Indian Labour Conference (1957) and the subsequent judicial
pronouncement of the honorable Supreme Court there-on, as on 1.1.2014.

(d)To determine the Interim Relief needed to be
sanctioned immediately to the Central Government employees including GDS.

(e) To determine the percentage of Dearness
allowance/Dearness Relief immediately to be merged with Pay and pension including
GDS.

(f)To settle the anomalies raised in various fora
of JCM.

(g)To work out the improvements needed to the
existing retirement benefits, like pension, death cum retirement
gratuity, family pension and other terminal or recurring benefits
maintaining parity amongst past, present and future pensioners and family
pensioners including those who entered service on or after 1.1.2004.

(h)To recommend methods for providing
cashless/hassle-free Medicare facilities to the employees and Pensioners
including Postal pensioners.

2.Ensure every five year revision of wages of
Central Government Employees in future.

3.(a) Regularisation of Gramin Dak Sevaks of the
Postal Department and grant of Civil Servant status, statutory pension and all
other benefits at par with regular employees.

(b) Regularisation and revision of wages of casual and
contract workers.

Start campaign and preparation
now onwards. Each Affiliated organizations should issue separate circulars to
all the state and district units and conduct department wise campaign. Strike
notice should be served by each organization to their Head of the departments